


Drinks After Work

by crescent_gaia



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Cross-species Relationship, F/M, Friends to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-20
Updated: 2016-12-20
Packaged: 2018-09-09 23:07:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8916655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crescent_gaia/pseuds/crescent_gaia
Summary: Judy never thought he would ask but she jumps at the chance to go.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kazatzka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kazatzka/gifts).



> 1\. I suck at titles.  
> 2\. I suck at summaries.  
> 3\. Please enjoy. :)

It had been a long week. Correction, it had been a long month, Judy Hopps realized. Sure, she and Nick were great at their jobs, but it felt like the rut was starting again. For one, they were given the same place to patrol for a majority of the weeks and it was always patrol. They were never sent undercover, which Nick pointed out that they would stick out too much so she was going to listen to him on that, but she wanted a bit of a change. Even a change of scenery would work at this point. She finished the last bit of paperwork and leaned back in her chair. “All done.”

“Me too,” Nick said from his desk. “TGIF, am I right?”

“Exactly,” she said. “I think this is our first weekend off too. Or, well, on call.”

“As much off as one can be then when working for the Force. Fancy going for a drink? Or dinner? Not sure if you have to get home to anybody or not. We, um, we really haven’t gotten into personal all that much,” he said as he scratched the back of his head.

She grinned. “I’d love to, for dinner which will probably include drinks. I’ll grab my things and meet you out front?”

“Sounds good,” he said, walking off.

She grinned and did her best not to hop with joy at the thought of not going home to her empty apartment. Sure, there was the nightly call with her parents, but otherwise? It was going home to an empty apartment, even if it was finally better than the one she first got when she came to Zootopia, but it was still empty. Despite Nick’s thoughts, she hadn’t found one and it wasn’t for lack of trying. Her parents suggested sons from friends of the family and then some of her friends outside of work tried to set her up as well. None of them worked but she did worry if something did happen with Nick. She didn’t want to change the dynamic of how they worked together, as one of them might have to leave, but maybe she was wrong about that. She hoped she was.

She went to where he was waiting for her and they walked out together. “So, where are we going?”

“Little dive bar that’s out of the way but serves great food. You would not know from looking on the outside that it’s got one of the best chefs in the city,” he replied. “Guy’s got a classical French background, so it’s bar food but with twists. Your car or my car?”

“Yours,” she said and walked with him over to where his car was parked. He bought it as a beater but was slowly working on getting it up into shape. At the moment, all it needed was a new paint job and it would be perfect. “Still can’t believe you got it up to this.”

“I never thought I would work on a long term project that wasn’t a con, so we’re both surprised by it,” he said with a shrug as he got in.

She got in as well and buckled up. “I did. In a strange sort of way, but it was hard to see at first.”

He grinned. “Judy, truth be told, you’re the only person who saw me as something other than a con. So I’m not surprised.”

“Yeah.” She leaned back in the seat, watching the city go by until they were in dive bar territory. He pulled into one of the lots, making sure that the car was secure, before leading her into a dark but surprising clean bar. There was live acoustic guitar playing and Nick used his connections to get them one of the nicer tables. 

“Thanks Sheila,” he said to the waitress after they were handed menus. 

“This is why we can’t do undercover work, you know nearly everyone in the city,” Judy said, looking over the menu, and sighing. “Not that I mind, I guess.”

“Also, you’re a star as well, so it’s not all my fault.”

“Give me time and I’ll find a way to make it,” she said, grinning at his chuckle. They ordered their food and drinks before turning to listen to the person playing. It was the first time she felt relaxed all week and she grinned as she looked over at Nick. She could tell that he was feeling the same way, even if he’d never admit it, and she was happy that she said yes. She clapped when the song was over, turning to talk to Nick. “Did you ever try to play?”

“An instrument? Nah. Not the proper thing to do. I did try my hand at singing, which I’m okay at, but I’m not about to do it now. Or any other time in the future unless you ask very nicely. Or I decide to surprise you on your birthday.”

She grinned. “That would work.”

“What about you? Your parents probably thought you were going to invest into the family business.”

“Exactly that. I know a bit of piano. I’m rusty but I bet I could pick it up again. If we did anything other than work and sleep.”

He grinned. “Like you would have it any other way.”

“No, no I wouldn’t,” she says, grinning. “In fact, I’m not sure what I’m going to do with myself this weekend. I might be spending all day just listening to the scanner.”

“Well, you could do that at my place. Order in pizza, watch silly movies, or play video games. Now that I’ve got a place – thanks for the recommendation on that apartment building that you passed on.”

“Yeah… bit too much for me and I had my fill of loud neighbors for the time being.”

“I sometimes hear them but otherwise I don’t mind,” he said, grinning. “If you come early, don’t forget coffee. Or doughnuts so we’re good on the stereotype.”

She laughed. “I won’t.”

Their food came and they fell quiet as they started to eat. They bantered back and forth a bit more, listening to the music as the guitar player came back, and were the last two in the place after the music was over for the night. When he dropped her off at her apartment, he kissed her and she kissed him back. She went up to her apartment, the happiest she’d been since she came to Zootopia in the first place. The weekend went by too fast, with the two of them being mostly at his place, and come Monday morning, it was business as usual. She was happy that it didn’t interfere with their work life and the weekends, when they could have them as well as the off days, were for them.


End file.
